Liquid filling machine and method



April 1963 R. M. MAGNUSON ETAL 3,087,517

LIQUID FILLING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 p In 58 l m INVENTO/PS GENEVIEVE l. MAGNUSON, EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ROY M. MAGNUSON, DECEASED.

RALPH K. DAUGHERTY ATTORNEYS United States 3,037,517 LIQUID FKLLHNG MAQHHNE AND lVIETHGD Roy M. Magnuson, deceased, late of Saratoga, Califi, by

Genevieve I. Magnuson, executrix, Saratoga, and

Ralph K. Daugherty, San Jose, Calif.; said Daugherty assignor to Magnuson Engineers, Inc., San Jose, (Iaiiii,

a corporation of California Filed Dec. 2-1, 1959,Ser. No. 861,028 10 Claims. (Ci. 141-1) The present invention relates to rotary filling machines of the type having a circulating supply of liquids and adapted to place a predetermined amount of liquid in a container during its travel therethrough and is concerned more particularly with improved methods and apparatus container, and at the same time the speed of the opera tion, as far as the number of containers per minute is concerned, can be materially increased because of simultaneous filling operations on a plurality of containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved filling machine in which a circulating stream of material is provided in a path including a stationary source and a rotary dispensing device, including one or more branch paths to a plurality of such devices.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a filling machine of the above character in which liquid is not lost when there is no can presented to a filling need.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid filling system embodying .the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view through the filling machine taken as indicated by the line Z2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2 illustrating the operation of a particular filling head;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 showing a different position of the parts;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken in planes indicated by the line 5-5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a development of the cam for control of the filling heads as employed in the machine;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a modified form of a filling system wherein a gravity head for controlling the flow of liquid is provided.

Referring to FIG. 1, the filling system includes generally a filling machine 10, a reservoir 11 of liquid to be filled, to which liquid is supplied from a suitable source of supply through a pipe 12 as controlled by the valve 13. Apump 14 of suitable capacity draws liquid from the reservoir or sump 11 and pumps it through a pipe 16 having a valve 17 incorporated therein and to the filling machine it) and back to the reservoir 11. Also, a suitable feed conveyor 21 for receptacles such as tin cans 22 is provided, from which the cans are conveyed in turn by means of a timing feed Worm 23 onto the turret 24 of the filling machine from which they are discharged in a atent Q 3,087,517 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 conventional manner onto a suitable discharge conveyor 26.

The filling machine 10 (FIGURES 1 and 2) includes a base 31 from which a stationary upright post on standard 32 projects upwardly to provide a main frame for the machine post, a cam track member 33 is suitably secured on the upper end of the post 32. Below the cam track member 32 there is provided a circular liquid return pan 34 supported by a collar 36 on post 32, and this pan 34.has a discharge pipe 37 leading to the return pipe 18 previously described.

Suitably journaled on the post 32 (FIG. 2.) is a rotary assembly including a rotary hub 41 journaled about the post 32 and supported on a suitable supporting collar 42 secured to the post 32. The hub 41 carries a gear 43 to which a continuous drive is imported in any suitable manner. A circular plate 47 is secured to hub 41 and provides a turret member including an apertured support 48 for each can, and a turret ring 49 providing recesses or locating stations for the cans 22. A stationary can guide 46 extends from the worm 23 to the discharge conveyor 26.

Projecting upwardly from the plate 47 (FIG. 2) there is an annular wall member or support 51 which carries at its top a horizontal annular top wall 52 upon which is supported an annular ring or angle 53. The angle 53 carries an annular series of bosses 54 in which are secured an annular series of radially directed pipes or conduits 55 extending outwardly from a central liquid supply chamber or member 56 to a connection 57 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which supports a nozzle member 58. Also, the connection 57 is threaded to receive a metering screw 59 which is adjustably locked in place by a nut 61.

Each of the nozzles 58 forms a part of an individual filling head which includes a housing member 62 (FIGS. 2 and 3) having an inclined discharged outlet or spout 63 overlying a stationary annular pan 34. Also, the housing has an opening 66 (FIG. 3) to accommodate a U-shaped gate or interceptor member 67 having an arcuate bottom 68 which is normally positioned to intercept the flow 69 of liquid from the nozzle 58 and direct it into the housing 62 for discharge through the spout 63. The side walls 71 of the interceptor member or gate 67 are apertured to received a shaft 70 to which they are secured by means of pinned collars 72. The shaft 7%} is pivotally mounted on opposed walls of the housing 62. The left-hand collar 72 (as viewed in FIGURE 5) carries a projecting arm 73 thereon which has a laterally projecting plate 74 'pivotally mounted therein, and apertured to receive a pin 76 and forming an abutment for a spring 77. The opposite end of the spring 77 abuts a similar apertured plate 78 carried by an arm 79pivotally mounted on the shaft 81 and having at its outer end a roller 82 engaged with a cam track member 83. The cam track member 83 is provided with a cam track 84 having an upper portion 84a extending throughout the major portion of the periphery of travel of the roller 82 of the filling head, and a lower portion 84b extending for the time of travel of the filling cycle. The filling cycle is determined by adjustment of a track section 86 in respective sets of apertures 87.

The construction and arrangement of the roller arms 79 and the gate arm 73 is such that a snap action or fast movement of interceptor gate 68 is provided as controlled by the cam. As seen in FIG. 3 for example in full lines, the roller 82 is in its upper position and the interceptor gate is in position to intercept the stream 69 and divert it into the housing 62. As the roller 82 is moved down.- wardly by the cam track 84, the first action is a pivoting of the arm 79 and the spring shaft 76-and the spring 77 with no resulting movement of the arm 73 and the gate 68. However, when the arm 79 causes the spring 77 to pass over center with respect to the arm 73, there is a snap action of the spring and of the arm 73 of the gate 68 to their dotted line positions in FIG. 3 and to their full line position in FIG. 4. Upon raising of roller 82 and the arm 79 by the cam track 84, there is a reverse action resulting in fast snap action movement of the gate 68 from its retracted position as shown in FIG. 4 to its stream intercepting position as shown in full lines in FIG. 3.

To prevent loss of liquid in the case, a can is absent from the line of cans with respect to a particular filling head, an inclined pan 91 (FIG. 2) is provided underneath the filling zone and has a conduit 92 communicating with the conduit 36 for return of the liquid.

In FIG. 7 there is shown a modification in which the pump pressure supply of liquid of FIG. 1 is replaced by a gravity head of liquid, and there is included a gravity tank 101 which is adjustably mounted on a support 102 and which has a central outlet conduit 103 leading back to the sump 11 through a pipe 104 to maintain a constant level of liquid therein. The outlet 196 from the tank 101 leads to the supply chamber 56 through the rotary seal connection 15, as disclosed in connection with FIG. 1. The supply of liquid to the tank 101 is obtained through a pump 168 from the sump 109. The capacity of the gravity tank is such that its level of liquid will not be changed by the number of filling heads which are in filling position, the flow through the tank 1&1 being in excess of the maximum requirement of the plurality of filling heads which can be operative at the same time.

In operation with the machine conditioned as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the pump 14 is in operation so that there is a constant supply of constant pressure liquid through the pipe 16 to the filling chamber 56. Assuming that there is a supply of cans 22, being fed one at a time to each filling head, as the filling head approaches the inclined portion 84c of the track 84 as seen in FIG. 6, the roller 32 of the particular filling head is depressed until the snap action moves the interceptor 63 from its stream intercepting position shown in FIG. 3 to its retracted position shown in FIG. 4. The supply of liquid in the tank 56 is at a constant rate of flow, and it supplies a constant volume stream whose head is determined by the uniform pressure applied so that an extremely accurate uniform fill of liquid into each container is obtained, the cutofl occurring at the time the roller travels up the inclined track member 86 to snap the interceptor gate back to its stream intercepting position.

It is seen that each of the filling heads is at all times supplied with a constant stream of liquid 69 from its nozzle 58, and the interceptors or gates merely determine what portion of time during the 360 degree rotation of the turret, that this liquid will be permitted to escape or will be diverted from the circulating path in which it normally flows. This action Will produce an extremely accurate fill of liquid into each of the containers or cans 22. If no can 22 is present, of course the liquid is merely received by the pan 91 and returned to the circulating stream, a hole 48a being provided in the turret plate 47 in registry with each stream 69 so that it can travel through to the pan 91. It will be noted also that because in a desired length of time, within a given maximum, can be provided for filling the liquid into a can, the liquid can be filled at a slow rate and at a reduced pressure so that a satisfactory splash-free filling operation will result.

While We have shown and described a preferred form of our invention in a preferred manner of carrying out the method of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown so that the scope thereof should be limited only by the scope and proper interpretation of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary filling machine of the type adapted to dispense a measured fill of liquid from any of a plurality of streams f nstant vol me mOV'ing downwardly at a constant speed and each normally deflected to a path for recirculation, said machine comprising a frame including a central upstanding post, a turret mounted for rotation on said frame, a distributing reservoir positioned adjacent the upper end of said post, a plurality of radially extending conduits carried by said turret and extending outwardly from said reservoir, and an annular series of dispensing heads carried by said turret and connected respectively to said conduits, means for providing a substantially constant pressure head at the outlet of each of said dispensing heads, each said conduit providing wall means to completely enclose and conduct liquid under substantially constant super-atmospheric pressure and speed to give a substantially constant rate of pressurized liquid flow within said conduit, each of said dispensing heads providing one of said streams of constant volume moving downwardly at constant speed, an annular series of container stations mounted for movement with said turret and operatively associated each with one of said dispensing heads, each of said heads including a pivotally mounted interceptor or gate positioned to normally deflect the liquid from a dispensing head away from a container at an associated station, each said gate having two positions, one of said positions providing for a deflection of the entire stream of liquid from a dispensing head to an associated station, and the other of said positions providing for depositing of the entire stream of liquid into a container at said associated station, means for receiving deflected liquid to a common collection reservoir, having an outlet leading to said post, and circular cam means mounted on said frame for controlling the position of said gates during their rotation.

2. In a rotary filling machine recited in claim 1 in which a liquid collection tray is provided below said station leading to said post to provide against loss of liquid when a container is not in a pocket.

3. In a rotary filling machine as recited in claim 1, in which said circular cam means incorporates means for varying the length of said cam means around the periphery of the filling machine to vary the time of fill of the containers.

4. A rotary filling machine of the type adapted to dispense a measured fill of liquid from any of a plurality of streams of constant volume moving downwardly at a constant speed and each normally deflected to a path for recirculation, said machine comprising a frame including a central upstanding post, a turret mounted for rotation on said frame, a plurality of radially extending conduits carried by said turret and extending outwardly from a source of liquid, and an annular series of dispensing heads carried by said turret and connected respectively to said conduits, means for providing a substantially constant pressure head at the outlet of each of said dispensing heads, each said conduit providing wall means to completely enclose and conduct liquid under substantially constant super-atmospheric pressure and speed to give a substantially constant rate of pressurized liquid flow Within said conduit, each of said dispensing heads providing one of said streams of constant volume moving downwardly at constant speed, an annular series of container stations mounted for movement with said turret and operatively associated each with one of said dispensing heads, each of said heads including a pivotally mounted interceptor or gate positioned to normally deflect the liquid from a dispensing head away from a container at an associated station, each said gate having two positions, one of said positions providing for a deflection of the entire stream of liquid from a dispensing head to an associated station, and the other of said positions providing for depositing of the entire stream of liquid into a container at said associated station, means for receiving deflected liquid to a common collection reservoir, and means mounted on said frame for controlling the position of said gates during their rotation.

5. In a rotary filling machine recited in claim 4 in which a liquid collection means is provided below said stations leading to said common collection reservoir to provide against loss of liquid when a container is not at a station.

6. A rotary filling machine of the type adapted to dispense a measured fill of liquid from any one of a plurality of streams of constant volume moving downwardly continuously at constant speed and normally deflected to a path for recirculation, said machine comprising a frame, a turret mounted for rotation on said frame, a central disposed reservoir mounted for rotation on said turret, means for supplying liquid to said reservoir from a stationary source including a rotary seal unit, a liquid distributing system leading from said reservoir including a series of stream dispensing nozzles connected to said reservoir and rotatable with said turret, said stationary source including means for supplying liquid at a constant pressure at each nozzle, a deflector gate for each nozzle disposed there-beneath for intercepting the stream ejected from the nozzle and for controlling the depositing of the stream in one of two locations, means at one location for returning liquid from the nozzle to said path, a container supporting means at the other of said locations for each nozzle, and stationary means on said machine responsive to the rotation of said turret for effecting movement of each of said deflector gates between two positions, one of said positions providing for intercepting the entire stream from the associated nozzle, and the other of said positions providing for depositing of the entire stream in the container at the associated container supporting means.

7. A rotary filling machine of the type adapted to dispense a measured fill of liquid from any one of a p1u-. rality of streams of constant volume moving downwardly continuously at constant speed and normally deflected to a path for recirculation, said machine comprising a frame, a turret mounted for rotation on said frame, a central disposed reservoir, a liquid distributing system leading from said reservoir including a series of stream dispensing nozzles connected to said reservoir and rotatable with said turret, said reservoir including means for supplying liquid to said nozzle at a substantially constant pressure, a deflector gate for each nozzle disposed there-beneath for intercepting the stream ejected from the nozzle and for controlling the depositing of the stream in one of two locations, means at one location for returning liquid from the nozzle to said path, a container supporting means at the other of said locations for each nozzle, and stationary means on said machine responsive to the rotation of said turret for effecting movement of each of said deflector gates between two positions, one of said positions providing for intercepting the entire stream from the associated nozzle, and the other of said positions providing for depositing of the entire stream in the container at the associated container supporting means.

8. In a rotary filling machine, as recited in claim 7, in which means is provided for varying the length of the path of a dispensing nozzle during which it is open to control the amount of fill into an associated container.

9. A method of filling containers with a measured amount of liquid which comprises moving a series of containers along a path, simultaneously moving a series of filling heads along a path coinciding at least in part with the path of said containers to place said containers and said filling heads in liquid filling relationship respectively, establishing a continuous stream of liquid through each of said filling heads, maintaining each said continuous stream of liquid at a constant volume and constant pressure to provide constant and equal volumes for the liquid flows through the respective filling heads, normally diverting the flow from each filling head to its associated container, and admitting the flow from each filling head to its associated container for a predetermined interval of time during travel along the coincident portions of said paths.

10. A method of filling a container with a given amount of liquid, which comprises moving the container along a predetermined path, moving a filling head along a path having a portion thereof coincident with said predetermined path of said container to dispose said container and said filling head in liquid filling relationship, establishing a continuous stream of liquid through said filling head, maintaining said continuous stream of liquid at a constant volume and constant pressure, normally diverting the flow of said stream from the container, and admitting said stream to said container for a predetermined interval of time while traveling through the coincident portions of said paths.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 643,102 Bates Feb. 13, 1900 962,026 Keast June 21, 1910 1,004,623 Bodman Oct. 3, 1911 1,072,412 Anderson et al. Sept. 9, 1913 1,490,923 Hansen Apr. 22, 1924 1,852,308 Judge Apr. 13, 1932 2,512,199 Dawson June 20, 1950 2,631,768 Martin et a1. Mar. 17, 1953 2,660,350 Fechheimer Nov. 24, 1953 2,760,704 Fechheimer Aug. 28, 1956 2,951,618 Aldecoa a Sept. 6, 1960 

10. A METHOD OF FILLING A CONTAINER WITH A GIVEN AMOUNT OF LIQUID, WHICH COMPRISES MOVING THE CONTAINER ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, MOVING A FILLING HEAD ALONG A PATH HAVING A PORTION THEREOF COINCIDENT WITH SAID PREDETERMINED PATH OF SAID CONTAINER TO DISPOSE SAID CONTAINER AND SAID FILLING HEAD IN LIQUID FILLING RELATIONSHIP, ESTABLISHING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID FILLING HEAD, MAINTAINING SAID CONTINUOUS STREAM OF LIQUID AT A CONSTANT VOLUME AND CONSTANT PRESSURE, NORMALLY DIVERTING THE FLOW OF SAID STREAM FROM THE CONTAINER, AND ADMITTING SAID STREAM TO SAID CONTAINER FOR A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL OF TIME WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH THE COINCIDENT PORTIONS OF SAID PATHS. 